Nazca Lines

The Nazca Lines have been a source of mystery and dispute since their discovery in southern Peru nearly a century ago. So why should the latest find be any different? Japanese enthusiasts recently released new aerial photographs of figures etched in the ground of the Nazca region, adding a fresh dollop of wonder to the giant geometric patterns and animal drawings that scientists say the Nazca Indians created as many as 2,000 years ago. Peruvian officials expressed excitement about the announcement. But Nazca experts said the Japanese discoveries might merely be good photographs of previously known lines."Saying these figures are new is a risk," saidJosue Lancho Rojas, a Nazca historian and writer.

"You cannot say at this time that there are any virgin sites." Even if the Japanese figures are not new, the announcement exposed shortcomings in Nazca scholarship. And it raised new questions about the Peruvian government's commitment to sophisticated scientific study.

Largely undocumented There is no central catalog detailing the hundreds of lines and figures already mapped and measured. There is no database for archeologists or, for that matter, a team headed by a literature professor from Yamagata University in Japan, to refer to when trying to piece together the history of the Nazca. "There are two consequences to this `discovery,' one positive and one negative," Lancho said."The positive is that a lot of tourists are going to come to Nazca now, eager to see the new figures. "The negative is that once again it shows that the National Institute of Culture has no central registry of the geoglyphs." Putting together such a list would not be difficult, experts said, but it would take time and money. Though the Peruvian government profits greatly from the international tourists who come to Nazca to fly over the lines for a dizzying display of ancient accomplishment, Peruvian officials say they could not afford such a project. "The government should open its doors and say that all the scientists of the world, all the foundations, are invited to come and work," Lancho said. "But the Peruvian government puts up too many obstacles to projects." Though theNazca have bee......

The Nazca Lines have been a source of mystery and dispute since their discovery in southern Peru nearly a century ago. So why should the latest find be any different? Japanese enthusiasts recently released new aerial photographs of figures etched in the ground of the Nazca region, adding a fresh dollop of wonder to the giant geometric patterns and animal drawings that scientists say the Nazca Indians created as many as 2,000 years ago. Peruvian officials expressed excitement about the announcement. But Nazca experts said the Japanese discoveries might merely be good photographs of previously known lines. 'Saying these figures are new is a risk,' said Josue Lancho Rojas, a Nazca historian and writer. 'You cannot say at this time that there are anyvirgin sites.' Even if the Japanese figures are not new, the announcement exposed shortcomings in Nazca scholarship.

And it raised new questions about the Peruvian government's commitment to sophisticated scientific study. Largely undocumented There is no central catalog detailing the hundreds of lines and figures already mapped and measured. There is no database for archeologists or, for that matter, a team headed by a literature professor from Yamagata University in Japan, to refer to when trying to piece together the history of the Nazca. 'There are two consequences to this `discovery,' one positive and one negative,' Lancho said. 'The positive is that a lot of tourists are going to come to Nazca now, eager to see the new figures. 'The negative is that once again it shows that the National Institute of Culture has no central registryof the geoglyphs.' Putting together such a list would not be difficult, experts said, but it would take time and money. Though the Peruvian government profits greatly from the international tourists who come to Nazca to fly over the lines for a dizzying display of ancient accomplishment, Peruvian officials say they could not afford such a project. 'The government should open its doors and say that all the scientists of the world, all the foundations, are invited to come and work,' Lancho said. 'But the Peruvian government puts up too many obstacles to projects.'

View: Full Article | Source: Topix.net

A new giant picture on the Nazca Plateau in Peru, which is famous for giant patterns that can be seen from the air, has been discovered by a team of Japanese researchers. The image is 65 meters long, and appears to be an animal with horns. It is thought to have been drawn as a symbol of hopes for good crops, but there are no similar patterns elsewhere, and the type of the animal remains unclear.The discovery marks the first time since the 1980s that a picture other than a geometrical pattern has been found on the Nazca Plateau.The picture was found by a team of researchers includingMasato Sakai, an associate professor at Yamagata University, after they analyzed images from a U.S.

commercial satellite. They confirmed it was a previously undiscovered picture in a local survey in March this year. It is located at the south of the Nazca Plateau, and apparently went undiscovered since few tourist planes pass over the area.There is evidence that vehicles had driven in the area, and part of the picture is destroyed.Two parts of the picture, that appear to be horns, bear close resemblance to those that appear on earthenware dating from 100 B.C. to A.D. 600, during the time when the Nazca kingdom flourished, and it is thought that they relate to fertility rites.The research teamwill use images from the advanced land-observing satellite "Daichi," which was launched by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency in January this year, to create a distribution map of images on the earth that can be seen from the air."We want to identify all the images, and work to preserve earth pictures that are gradually being destroyed," Sakai said. (Mainichi)

View: Full Article | Source: Mainichi Daily News

A new giant picture on the Nazca Plateau in Peru, which is famous for giant patterns that can be seen from the air, has been discovered by a team of Japanese researchers.The image is 65 meters long, and appears to be an animal with horns. It is thought to have been drawn as a symbol of hopes for good crops, but there are no similar patterns elsewhere, and the type of the animal remains unclear. The discovery marks the first time since the 1980s that a picture other than a geometrical pattern has been found on the Nazca Plateau.The picture was found by a team of researchersincluding Masato Sakai, an associate professor at Yamagata University, after they analyzed images from a U.S.

commercial satellite. They confirmed it was a previously undiscovered picture in a local survey in March this year. It is located at the south of the Nazca Plateau, and apparently went undiscovered since few tourist planes pass over the area. There is evidence that vehicles had driven in the area, and part of the picture is destroyed. Two parts of the picture, that appear to be horns, bear close resemblance to those that appear on earthenware dating from 100 B.C. to A.D. 600, during the time when the Nazca kingdom flourished, and it is thought that they relate to fertility rites. The research team will use images from the advanced land-observing satellite "Daichi," which was launched by the JapanAerospace Exploration Agency in January this year, to create a distribution map of images on the earth that can be seen from the air. "We want to identify all the images, and work to preserve earth pictures that are gradually being destroyed," Sakai said. Article Source

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